As 2016 comes to a close, AAEM would like to wish its members, partners and other industry professionals a safe and happy holiday season. As we reflect on the past year for the industry, we would like to provide the readers of the AAEM Insights a look at the most accessed articles from the year. Our regular publication will resume Thursday, Jan. 5.

By Chelsea AdamsFrom April 21: The 2016 Medscape Physician Compensation Report indicates emergency physicians earned an average of $322,000 in 2015, slightly higher than 2014's earnings of $306,000. As part of the survey, nearly 20,000 physicians across 26 specialties were asked about earnings, job satisfaction and how much he or she works. Emergency medicine physicians' compensation ranked roughly in the middle of pack when compared to other specialties' compensation.READ MORE

By Lynn HetzlerFrom Oct. 28: Occupational stress is ubiquitous in the workplace today, and it presents major challenges to health and safety on the jobsite. Emergency departments are notoriously high-pressure environments, but health scientists have never established the specific organizational stressors that affect workers in the ED. However, a new literature review in Emergency Medical Journal investigated occupational stress in the emergency department.READ MORE

By Liz RyanFrom Nov. 23: Before we start to discuss this topic, let's understand that basic precautions are meant to reduce the risk of transmission of blood-borne and other pathogens from different sources. They are the basic level of infection control precautions that are to be used while taking care of patients. Some of these infections can be transmitted through contact with blood and body fluids. If all hospitals would stick to these precautions, it would reduce unnecessary risks.READ MORE

By Joan Spitrey From May 5: Popular consumer reporter John Stossel recently wrote an opinion piece on the lack of customer service he received while in the hospital. He was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, for which he was admitted to New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Although Stossel acknowledged his medical care was excellent, he could not help but notice the lack of customer care that consumers have grown to expect. He brought up some key issues healthcare workers have been navigating for years.READ MORE

By Mark HuberFrom May 19: A friend had been suffering with abdominal pain for weeks. He tried to work through the issue with his family doctor, but he was referred to a specialist. When he called, he explained his symptoms and was stunned. Not only was the first available appointment six weeks away, but the scheduler was also wholly unsympathetic, even downright surly. My friend explained that six weeks was just too long to wait. The scheduler snapped back, "That's what emergency rooms are for."READ MORE

By Scott E. Rupp From Sept. 29: Well, this is rich, isn't it? Jonathon Bush of athenahealth says EHRs "slow doctors down and distract them from meaningful face time caring for patients." One of the nation's most-well known CEOs of an electronic health record company, Bush wrote this in an op-ed for STAT, citing the results of a new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine. While the research findings are not surprising, Bush's response is. First, let's dig into the results of the study a bit.READ MORE

By Katina SmallwoodFrom April 21: By now, you've probably heard of Zika, the mosquito-borne virus infecting people across the Americas. You've also probably heard about the virus's suspected link to microcephaly, a birth defect causing infants to be born with abnormally small brains that can lead to developmental problems. But new reports have confirmed the link between Zika virus and microcephaly is indeed "causal," and Zika has also been linked to neurological disorders.READ MORE

By Joan SpitreyFrom Nov. 17: Now that the 2016 election season has ended, there is only one thing most are agreeing on — they are glad it's finally over. The race to the White House has been one of the most divisive and hotly contested campaigns in modern history, and Donald J. Trump emerged with a new career role as the 45th president of the United States. Throughout the campaign, Trump made his opinions and goals for the Affordable Care Act clear: He wanted the law radically changed.READ MORE

AAEM/RSA announces a Policy and Advocacy Congressional Elective in collaboration with Members of Congress.

The AAEM/RSA Elective is a one month elective for AAEM and AAEM/RSA members interested in medical policy and advocacy.

The elective will provide a solid understanding of legislative and policy process, which will serve to equip the elective candidate with lobbying, legislative and policy work and help to empower the emergency medicine profession. READ MORE

By Jessica TaylorFrom June 30: Stop what you're doing. Read this entire article. Share it with your friends. Some of you may be doing this, while others are probably just ignoring it. But if I was Kilgrave, the villain in the Marvel Netflix series "Jessica Jones," you would do anything I say. Mind control. Is it fact or fiction? Whether you want to believe it or not, mind control is a real thing in nature. But I'm actually here to discuss another form of mind control that you may not see every day: emotional abuse.READ MORE

By Scott E. RuppFrom Feb. 19: The rural healthcare landscape continues to occupy many minds as concerns over care of the folks who occupy these spaces is becoming increasingly difficult. According to a new report from iVantage Health Analytics, 673 rural hospitals across 42 states are vulnerable to closure. This is on top of the more than 60 rural hospitals that have closed since 2010. The iVantage report compiles hospital strength index that is based on data about financial stability, patients and quality indicators.READ MORE